Pros

very confortable to drive

Cons

must have a smaal dog hahah

25

Hugs The Road —
really fun to drive and great on gas, wish it was a bit larger in the storage area, the controls havve the feel of a luxury car, sound system is awsome, and the double sun roof a blast, becareful you dont loose your hat

Pros

Nimble, sporty handling, fun, stylish.

Cons

Too many have already discovered the secret.

1,305

A Rare Gem For The Sports Car Fans, Fashionistas, And Hippies Alike! —
We barely have our Clubman for 3 weeks and so far I can't get enough of it! This pint size vehicle is unlike anything I've driven and never fails to excite. Start with tbe exterior - this is a vehicle of unusual proportion, even more radical than the regular wheelbased Cooper S. I especially like the elongated roofline that gently slopes backwards. Then there are these sleek wrap-around rear quarter windows for the enjoyment of the back passengers. Finally, those barn doors rear hatch mean business, and rightly so as afforded by the benefit of the extra 9" worth of Clubman exclusive wheelbase. It is, however, not without fault. The body panel gaps are not as tight fitting as most typical modern productions and the paint, despite the lack of orange peel (most noticeable on the flatter panels of other BMW vehicles) is very thinly cleared to make future spot repairs very limited. Otherwise, I am constantly "WOWed" by the stylized little design details found throughout the vehicle such as the (unnecessarily complex) dual exhausts and the curvy wrap around rubber bumpers/wheel arches/side skirts mouldings.
Climb into this seemingly mini-sized vehicle and the door closes with a decided "thump". The interior design follows the consistent oval theme. Material is top notch with all vinyl surfaces appropriately textured. Tactile feel is also very good, especially with the custom colour elbow rest and shin pads which are both well cushioned. The costly optional Launch Leather package buys you creamy soft full grain leather with double stitchings and white piping - very much in tune with the heritage of this British built vehicle. Due to the more than adequate head room as well as seat height, an upright seating position can easiily be achieved. The windshield does not rake much, giving a tremendous sense of space in front of the driver. Head and shoulder room is also surprisingly generous and I never rubbed elbows with Conny despite the unusually narrow centre console. The cockpit of the Clubman has to be experienced first hand for one to completely appreciate the uniqueness of the MINI culture.
With the press of a button, the engine fires up immediately and settles with a slight lump. Moviing off the line, the Clubman is only hampered by the noticeable delay of a slow to engage 6 speed automatic transmission. Throttle response is immediate with no noticeable turbo lag and torque is available just off idle. Power delievery is so linear I am unable to tell of the presence of a turbo under the hood (quite unlike the other Turbo I have in my garage). The BMW designed cylinder head utilising electromagnetic valve train (which now also functions as the "thottle") is responsible for the immediacy of power output. Depress the accelerator ever so gently in any gear and you will be rewarded by an instantaneous push-in-the-back. This is a prime example of how F1 racing technology can improve the breed and the type of advancement automanufacturer odd to impress their customers with (rather than bringing garbage such as LED driving light, mirror cover turn signal, non-functional front fender styling grills, unnecessarily large rims/low profile tires, dual mufflers/exhausts, etc.).
Most amazing of the whole Clubman package is its chassis. Here the benefit of its short wheelbase is fully explored by means of the pin-sharpe steering response. No car can turn-in so abruptly it is almost brutal. You can keep steering the vehicle, make mid-turn corrections whenever you like and the car will point to whatever directions you choose. There is hardly any body row/dive/squat as the suspension is very stiffly sprung, yet any pavement undilations are also adequately damped such that the car would never step out of line. How is it possible for such short wheelbased and dynamically responsive vehicle to not loose its composure (and espescially its rear end} during such demanding driving condition? I already knew the answer when I had the chance to examine the rear suspension setup while I labour through putting snow tires on this vehicle. Where other manufacturers of front drive vehicles may place significant emphasis on the front suspension setup (afterall, 60-65% of the vehicles' weights rest on that end) to the extend of putting double wishbones (such as the previous generations of Honda/Acura}, BMW knows to bone up on the Clubman's rear by using the multi-link "z" axle (found in the more recent generatiions of 3 series cars}. The cast aluminum trailing "z" arm on the Clubman is so substantial I don't think I can find the same even on my 400+ hp Porsche Turbo (which is primarily rear-wheel-drive}! I think BMW, being a builder of rear drive vehicle, does not have lesser parts for the Clubman's rear end in its parts bin to begin with, may as wel had decided to apply its experience in rear drive chassis to use in the MINI and this results in the dynamically amazing handling characteristic of this vehicle.
Since this is Conny's daily driver, ride quality/comfort counts. The Clubman's chassis bottoms out (due to lack of suspension travels) regularly when poor pavement is encountered, but never harsh, thanks probably to the heavy use of rubber bushings typical in most BMW's suspension. Directional stability is also surprisingly good due to the heavily weighed electrically assisted steering. There is no wandering at highway speed even on windy days. No creaks/rattle were noticeable either - chassis stiffness is comparable to that of my Porsche 911. Overall, this is a very capable road handling machine, more hardcore than suggested.
The Cooper S Clubman is a rare gem. It is an extremely well handling vehicle where its limits are accessible in most daily driving conditioons. This car feels so nimble and precise even a true sport car (like my Porsche Turbo) may not be as much fun to drive on the street (it will be a different story on the track of course}. This car is also all about style too. All the exterior and interior trims and materials are custom ordered to your desire (but it also took 6 long weeks before it arrives from Oxfordshire, England). You thought you bought into an alternative lifestyle, think again, this is every bit a practical vehicle with leg room for adults in the back seats, trunk space for grocery (bearly), and fuel efficency of 11 L/100km (being driven with my heavy foot). Driving this vehicle is like putting on a smiling face, the tremendous pressure is being lifted off you shoulders. You learn to enjoy every moment driving it and feeling every detail of the environment you are in, listening to the deep, mesmerising exhaust notes in the background, as if the sun is shining all the time....

Pros

Could travel fast with no break downs.

Cons

Almost to easy to drive lol

25

If Your Gonna Buy One Get The S Model —
Loved this car, Handled like a dream. Top BMW quality, performed like a champ.
Seats were great. Low ownership cost. Great overall value. Extremely fun car to
drive. Pushed my base model daily to 130 mph no problems. Loved it.

Pros

Gas mileage is great on this car. Ratings are a little low compared to what we actually get. Around town, about 28 mpg. Highway I've gottem as much as 40 mpg. Car is extremely quick and fun to drive. The turbo makes all the difference in the world.

Cons

Clubman has much more room that the standard Mini. With back seats down you can a lot of stuff in the car but...it can be cumbersome for adults to in and out of back seats.

25

Overall, This Is A Great Little Car. —
We have really enjoyed the car. Fun to drive and great gas mileage. Service is only recommended once a year which makes it really inexpensive on the service side. Only reason we are selling is because we need a bigger vehicle for work purposes.

Pros

Its a go kart with a turbo.

Cons

Nothing.

55

Win. —
Best used for fun. Lots of kick. Strong Brakes. Turns on a dime...literally. Built very strong. Very heavy for a little car. Needs mud flaps if you want to keep it clean. Car is extremely fun to drive. Inline 4 unlike no other. Turbo to boost.

Reviews From Other Years

A Real Head TurnerBy pissedincaledonia

I've had this car for a year now and I love it
I've had no major issues and the one issue I did have the Mini dealer was great
I've owned over 30 cars and this car is by far the one that I had the m...
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CooperBy Marin2004

This car is basically a go cart on wheels. Put on the Harmon Kardon Stereo open the sunroofs and life is great. Funnest vehicle I believe for the money. People are always giving me thumbs up, you have...
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Love It.By johnmhines

Great little car with super power/handling/gas mileage. Service has been excellent. Good on the highway as it has a wide stance and seems heavier than it really is. Fun it drive and has a lot of st...
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Loved My Mini...for AwhileBy Timothyellisky

My MINI is great on fuel, has great handling and zippy acceleration at highway speed. It has surprising cargo space without passengers and solid construction overall. Unfortunately, my travel profile ...
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Fun Fun Car To DriveBy AssuranceAuto

This is the most fun I have had driving any car I've owned. It is well balanced and great for traveling. The way the doors open gets as much attention as a retractable hardtop on a BENZ. I really enj...
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DisappointedBy Loudis

We were initially delighted with our stylish and fuel efficient little car that was big enough for our family of four, including two small children. However we have only had it six months and it was o...
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A Let DownBy tikun

The car is something I have always wanted, well I ended up getting one and so far am regretting that I have. Small issues costing big $$ to fix even when doing labor myself. Otherwise the car is prett...
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Read all 22 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman reviews

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